David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
______________________________________________________________Moths
110 – Variable Burnet Moths
VARIABLE
BURNET MOTH Zygaena ephialtes
VARIABLE
BURNET MOTH Zygaena ephialtes
VARIABLE
BURNET MOTH Zygaena ephialtes
VARIABLE BURNET MOTH Zygaena ephialtes
·
These photographs of the polymorphic Variable
Burnet Moth Zygaena ephialtes (Zygaenidae, Zygaeninae)
were taken in Switzerland, and an intermediate colour form is illustrated.
There is an interrelationship with (i.e. mimicry of) the Nine-spotted Moth Amata
phegea, with a strong resemblance to this
unrelated moth (family Ctenuchidae,
illustrated elsewhere on this web site), and there have been misidentifications
in on-line references because of this. The polymorphism is related to geography
and altitude, insomuch as pale-spotted (white or yellow) forms of Z.
ephialtes are more likely to be found in areas where these two species
overlap, and red-spotted forms seen where they don’t. The root cause of such
mimicry often lies in the biological advantage obtained by resembling a species
that presents danger to potential predators, either associated with
distastefulness, toxicity, or both. The tips of the antennae provide a useful
clue to identification as they are white in A. phegea,
and there is only a single-coloured ring (rather than the two in A. phegea) encircling the abdomen of Z. ephialtes.
In the example of Z. ephialtes shown above this ring is bright scarlet,
but for paler examples this feature may be an orange-yellow shade. However, as
the red spots of burnet moths tend to advertise their distastefulness, the
advantages gained from this association may be limited. The larvae of this moth
feed on leguminous plants.
-> Moths 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122
-> Species Index, Common Names
-> Species Index, Scientific Names
-> Site Index
-> Home